A meal fit for Momma Joe.

Since it was Mother’s Day, I wanted to celebrate with Momma Joe the best way I know how: ice cream from the Snowman in Lansingburgh, and pizza from New York Style Pizza in Latham. Heartburn? Bring. It. On.

The Snowman, in case you are new to Troy, not familiar with the area, or have been living under a rock, has been a 5^th Avenue staple since the 1950’s. It has been serving homemade, delicious, frosty treats to families for generations. I had the coffee-mocha chip loaded with chocolate sprinkles. Momma Joe had their signature orange sherbet twist. Classic.

The Snowman (clearly this photo is not from yesterday).

After that we headed up to Latham to pick up our garlic knots and Sicilian style pie loaded with spinach (trying to be healthy…ha!) and oozing with deliciously melted cheese. Momma Joe called it the best gift I ever gave her. 

Today's lunch: Last night's delicious pizza. 

Over 40 Million Served at The Dog Shack

 

$1.79 for 3 Toasted hot dogs – There it is, I’m not burying the lead on this one. Gus’s, Hotdog Charlie’s and Famous Lunch have cornered the market on mini-dogs, but how about a regular dog? Travel up the Northway to Hudson Falls and you will find The Dog Shack.

The buns are toasted and Uncle Louie’s meat sauce is the best. It’s a sweet sauce that doesn’t have that deep chili, this might want to play repeats on me, feel to it. I usually grab six dogs – that’s a huge lunch for less then five dollars. Over 40 million served.

If your traveling up north to the outlets or a waterpark and have a few extra minutes to hop over to Uncle Louie’s “World Famous” Dog Shack, The Hotdog Factory, it’s well worth your money and time. The Dog Shack is located at 449 Lower Main Street in Hudson Falls.

Up The Hill to Japanica Grill

Japanica Grill recently opened in Troy, I decided to check it out after hearing about it from a buddy of mine who is an avid sushi eater. I did a little research and saw some pretty positive reviews on Yelp. Overall this was a case of curiosity, it's new, it's fresh and others are liking it so I had to check it out for myself.

Last night I traveled up the hill towards RPI in Troy. it was a very quiet scene and there wasn't too much action inside. This is something to consider, they have a great sushi bar, but you're not going to see any hibachi grill action. The great thing about this place though is that it has a very large menu so you can go multiple times and always try something new.

I'm not the most versatile in japanese food however, so what sounds good? The flying dragon and the chicken katsu is what you see in the photo. If you look on the left side you will see my fork there...(yes I had to be that guy and ask for a fork). They don't give you a fork to start with, and I understand that it's not the traditional way it's done so I tried my best, but the chopsticks just were not going to happen.

The sushi was great and the chicken itself had a lot of its own flavor. If you do plan on trying it out, learn to use the chopsticks though, don't be that guy.

A night of gluttony at 5 Guys AND 16 Handles

I got home from work the other night pretty late and was faced with two dinner choices: chicken and spinach, or take-out. After approximately five seconds of hemming and hawing, the idea of take-out won. I ended up at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries in Clifton Park. I wasn't feeling very social, so I took mine and Joe Dog's meals to-go (and for the record: “Joe Dog”, is Average Joe’s furry companion, not a human companion). On the menu for the evening? A big, fat, juicy-greasy burger with melty cheese and toppings galore, an overabundance of addicting spicy Cajun fries (and plain ones for Joe Dog), sweatpants and American Idol on the tube (don’t judge me). This is the stuff that dreams are made of, my friends. But I didn't stop the dream at 5 Guys. I was also in the mood for a frozen treat and luckily for me, 16 Handles is like, right next-door. I couldn't NOT get take out fro-yo to add to my night of gluttony, right? If you aren't familiar with 16 Handles, it's a frozen yogurt spot with 16 different flavors and a plethora of toppings that you put on yourself (ah-ma-zing). For myself, I got coffee with chocolate chips, caramel cups, and chocolate sprinkles with caramel sauce and Joe Dog got a vanilla fro-yo with kiwi, mango, strawberry, peanuts and peanut butter, and LOVED it! We were both full with delicious food and glorious gluttony.  

Joe Dog enjoying fro-yo from 16 Handles

Nacho Average Quesadilla

The snow has melted.  Birds are starting to chirp.  And new lunch spots are opening.  Yup, it’s officially spring in Troy.  After a winter that seemed to never end, 50 degrees all of a sudden feels like 80. 

So this week, I strapped on my PF Flyers and took a stroll through downtown Troy to get some exercise, but more importantly, get some lunch.  I was walking by good ol’ Shalimar when I stopped in my tracks.  A new Quesadillary (say that 3 times fast) called Muddaddy Flats.  Apparently I had not been in the area in awhile, because Muddaddy Flats opened in September of last year.  Very quickly my focus went from exercise to lunch.

With many great unique options to dress up your quesadilla, I had a tough time making a decision.  Today I settled on The Parm Bird, a variation of Chicken Parm. Great call by Average Joe.  And to make this trip better, I ran in to my buddy and Troy Legend, 3^rd Street Johnny.  Johnny ordered The Kyle (chicken, bacon, bbq sauce, cheddar/jack cheese), so we did what any grown men would do…..we swapped wedges of our quesadilla.  In the spirit of the new baseball season, we went 2 for 2.

I’ll be honest, I was a little skeptical given a name that instantly made me think more post-meal.  But like always, your boy Average Joe made a great call and I have a new spot to add to my lunch arsenal.  Can’t wait to go back and try all the other quesadilla options.

It's Time to Ring the Bell

I've been patiently waiting, you've seen some of the posts on this topic in anticipation, but the day had finally come, cool ranch was finally unleashed. I wasn't thrilled with the first round of the Doritos Locos Taco and I knew this second round here would turn things around.

So I pull in to Taco Bell, but I pretend like I don't know what's going on asking "hey I heard about that new cool ranch taco there, are you guys serving that yet." I was just trying to keep the excitement levels on the down low, because to some people it's just a taco. 

I'm not disappointed at all with it, it doesn't quite capture the flavor of the cool ranch chips, but in itself as a taco it brings something new to the table. So when you go to ring the bell, be sure to check it out. it won't fill you up though so grab a quesadilla too. 

Keep Calm and Drink Coffee

I was running late for work this morning so I couldn’t stop to grab my “average cup of Joe” from Dunkin Donuts. Matter of fact, I skipped coffee altogether this morning and by lunchtime, I needed an IV full of it. One of my co-workers suggested I stop into Spill’n the Beans located on 3rd Street in Troy before I headed to Subway for a sub. 

Let me tell you, I am more than thrilled that my co-worker had suggested Spill’n the Beans not only for their coffee, but for their food and bakery items! Thank goodness there was a line (which moved fast) because I was stumped on what to order. As I was waiting for my food that I ordered, I spent my time sipping on the Americano Macchiato with an extra shot of espresso (remember, I missed my morning coffee). 

Now, you know Average Joe loves me some good ole’ chili, so when I saw it on the menu, I couldn’t pass it up. Spill’n the Beans makes their homemade chili with enough kick in it to satisfy your taste buds in every bite. Also, to top my chili off, they added homemade cheese croutons. YUM.

I also ordered the Prosciutto Di Parma Panini sandwich to go along with my soup. The Panini was layered with fresh mozzarella, provolone, fontina, and basil pesto. The fresh mozzarella and provolone on the Panini tasted like no other! 

The soup and Panini came out within ten minutes, perfect timing to use their Wi-Fi, so I could check my e-mails and get caught up on my Tweets before heading back to the office. 

Even though I was stuffed, I had to eat my bakery item that was staring right at me! I ordered a slice of carrot cake, now this is not my usual order (I’m usually a chocolate brownie kind of guy), but man was I satisfied.

Spill’n the Beans is a great place for a quick pit stop to drink, eat, and relax.